Cyclicly interchangeable display means



y 1951 L. GORDON CYCLICLY INTERCHANGEABLE DISPLA-Y MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheetl 4 INVENTOR. LEO e0 DON ATTORNEY Filed July 17, 1948 y 1951 GORDONCYCLICLY INTERCHANGEABLE DISPLAY MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17,1948 INVE NTOR. 1.1-:0 60 00M ATTORNEY Patented May 1, 1951 0. F "F ICEcwuctw V CHANGE BLE'DISPLAY e 'G dqn, Denrerl 0- Am -am t 1i c. im a -cs7 Claims. (01.40-86).

This invention relates to apparatus and devices for the display andautomatic periodic interchange of paneltype signs and pictorialrepresentations such as are commonly employed for advertising purposes,and has as an object to provide an improved such device in unitary,selfcontained, readily-movable form.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved, cabinet-housedapparatus adapted to successively frame for View and automaticallyinterchange a plurality of display panels asso ciated therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting fora bank of display panels susceptible of successive and repetitiousexposure through a cabinet sight window. w

A further object of the invention "is to provide improved means forpositioning and framing successive display panels of a bank thereofrelative to and for view through a cabinet sight'win- A further objectof the invention is to provide improved means for periodically advancinga bank of display panels toward a cabinet sight window in synchronismwith the cyclic "interchange of said panels.

A further object of the invention is to provide improveduniformly-actuated means operable to automatically and successivelyinterchange display panel units of a cabinet-housed bank thereof througha continuing, repetitious cycle char acterized by view exposure of eachpanel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved, unitary,panel-display device susceptible of construction in any desired size foreither interior or exterior installation and 'for the accommodation ofany desired reasonable number of independent panels, that is relativelysimple and inexpensive of manufacture as a self contained entityfacilitating installation, thatis positive and efficient in continuous,automatic, cyclic operation, and that is adaptable to theattention-inviting display of an infinite variety of ,messages capableof visual registration.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists inthe construction, arrangement, and combination of elements herein afterset forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, partially in vertiecal section to show otherwise concealed construce tion, of a typicalunit embodying the principles of the invention. Figure 2 is a crpssSECtipn taken substantially on'the indicated line 2 -12 .Qf

Figure 1. Figure 3 isa fragmentary, detail elevation, partly in section"and on an enlarged scale, of panel supporting and shifting meansemployed in duplicate in the organization according to the precedingviews. Figure 4 is a cross section takensubstantially on the indicatedline t-fl of Figure 3. Figure 5is a fragmentary, detail elevation,partly in section, of a panel track mo'untingalternative to that shownin Figure 3. Figure 6 is -a fragmentary, detail eleva tion, partly insection and on an enlarged scale, of panel positioning and advancingmeans emplo'y e'd in duplicate in the organization according to thepreceding views. Figure 7 is a vertical section transversely through atypical panel bank as asso'ci-ated with means for damping outpaneloscillations. Figure 8 is a section through the lewer end of a typicalpanel bank as associated with alternative oscillation-damping "means.Figure 9 is-a section through the lower end of a panel hank herein theindividual panels are equipped "with oscillation minimizing spacerelemerits. Figure 10 is a vertical section transversely-through analternatively-supported panel bank upper end in operativeassociation,with automatic panel-advancing means. Figure 11 is aso'mew'h'atdiagrammatic "elevation of the panel'- advancing' means ofth'e precedingview in a sub sequent stage of its operative cycle. Figure 12 is ar-ragmentary, detail section through one end of a panel supportillustrating alternative means for automatically engaging the panel withand for elevation by the actuating means of the apparatus.

In the construction of the improvement as shown; a cabinet [5, of anydesired particular material or construction, is provided with a sightwindow or view aperture l6 opening through the lower portion ofits-forward face in a size appropriate itor framing of the panel-mountedmessages to be displayed, is preferably equipped withsuitable adjustablesupporting devices I! where'- by the base of the cabinet may be leveledin its position of installation, 'andi proportioned-to define a hollow,unobstructed interior having a clear heightmore than twice the"cerresponding dimension of the sight window. A suitable, rig-id frame [8approximates the interior, vertical plane outline of the cabinetinterior and is fixed therein with its spacjedly-parallel legsupstanding along central vertical areas of the cabinet end wall innersurfaces and its transverse base member spanning the cabinet lengthinwardly ad c n t cab e t p c su ik' h sprgckets !9 are mountedior free,independent rotation in spacedly-parallel, coaxial relation on andinwardly adjacent upper ends of the frame [8 vertical legs, and similarsprockets 20 coplanar with the sprockets I9 are spaced apart on andfixed to a shaft 2! rotatably bridging between lower end of said framevertical legs oeneath the lower margin of the sight window H5, so thatendless chains 22 operatively engaged with and about each set ofcoplanar sprockets ae 2o correspondingly and synchronously react torotation of the shaft 2| with like travel of their forward reachesinwardly paralleling the cabinet front wall and corresponding rotationof the idler sprockets I9. An electric motor 23, or equivalent source ofpower, housed within the cabinet base operatively engages, asthrough aspeed reducer and bevel gear set, with and to rotatively drive the shaft2| at desired speed-the direction of such shaft drive being determinedto effect upward travel of the chain 22 reaches s more nearly adjacentthe cabinet front wall and downward travel of the chain reaches remotefrom said wall. I

The messages to be displayed are delineated, in any suitable or desiredmanner, on the face surfaces of like thin, plane panels 22, of anydesiredmaterial or construction, each of which isslightly greater inarea than the view aperture of the sight window It, fixedly depends froma mounting bar 25 that extends along and projects at each end beyond thepanel upper margin, and may be rolled, folded or beaded along its othermargins to stiffen the panel unit. Each mounting bar 25 is furnishedwith like rollers 26 on and freely rotatable about its projecting endsin outwardly spaced relation with the adjacent panel side margins, saidrollers 28 being either peripherally grooved, as shown in Figure 3, forguided, rolling cooperation with the rounded edge of a track member 21,or rounded, as shown in Figure 5, for functionally identical cooperationwith the grooved edge of the member 2?. The track members 2'! areduplicate straight, rigid elements of a length exceeding the spacingbetween reaches of the chains 22, and one of said members is fixedtransversely of and to inwardly parallel each end of the cabinet [5 ininwardlyspaced, bridging relation across both reaches of the adjacentchain 22 with the upper track margin inclined slightly upwardly andrearwardly from a point upwardly and outwardly adjacent thecorresponding sight window upper corner, said track members hence beingparallel in a spacing corresponding with that between the rollers 26 ofeach mounting bar and being disposed with their upper edges in a commonplane inclined downwardly from rear to front of the cabinet. At theirforward ends, the track member 27 upper edges terminate in upstandingstops disposed to limit forward travel of the rollers 25 therealong andconsequently position the panel 22 depending from the associated bar 25in proper framed relation with the sight window It, engagement of therollers 26 with the track member edges and the non-shiftability of saidrollers on their bar 25 insuring lateral registration of the associatedpanel 24 with the sight window.

The apparatus will accommodate that number of separate panels 24 whichmaybe roller-engaged with and to depend between the track members 2?within the span between reaches of the chain 22, the inclination of thetrack member upper edges and the rotatable mounting of the rollers 26permitting the panel weights to maintain the panels as a close,forwardly-urged 4 bank held apart only by peripheral engagement ofadjacent rollers 25 and limited as to forward travel by the track edgestops which function to register the forward panel for view through thesight window IS, in which banked interrelation undesired swinging,clattering, or oscillation of the individual panels may be inhibited bythe use of non-metallic pads or buttons 28 fixed to project forwardlyfrom lower margins or corners of the successive panels, as shown inFigure 9, by the use of a brush or row of bristles 29 fixed at an angleparalleling that of the track member 2? upper margins in the lowerportion of the cabinet to expose the upwardly-directed f-ree'--bristleends to engagement with panel 24 lower margins, as shown in Figure '7,or through 'thepro'vi'sio'n of a' studded, endless belt 30 disposed forfree travel between and about mounting rollers positioned to incline thesaid belt upper run in conformity with the travel line of the panel 25lower margins, a guide finger 5| serving to direct the descending,rearmost panel 24 into belt-actuating engagement between spaced studs ofthe belt while the forwardly-descending travel of the panel bank aidsthe belt movement, all as represented in Figure 8.

The continuous, uniform, upward travel of the chain 22 forward reachesderiving from powerrotation of the shaft 2! is utilized to lift theviewexposed, forward panel 22 away from its registration with the sightwindow It, to elevate said panel above and rearwardly across the panelbank, and to return said panel to the bank as the rearmost elementthereof, thereby successively exposing the series of panels 24 to viewthrough the sight window I6, to which end the chains 22 are equippedwith one or more pairs of lifting pins 32 axially-aligned in spacedparallelism with the shaft 2|, a pin 32 of each pair being associatedfor travel with and to project inwardly from each of the chains 22 forupward travel along the forward chain reach past the end of the forwardpanel 24 mounting bar 25 1 between the associated chain and adjacenttrack member 2?. Equipping the several mounting bars 25 for engagementby the lifting pins 32, a generally tubular hood 33 is fixed at one endto and projects axially from each end of each bar 25 outwardly beyondthe rollers 26 thereof, said hood 33 being fixed against rotationrelative to the bar 25 and associated panel 24 and terminating inclosely spaced relation with the adjacent chain 22 to overhang thetravel path of the uprising pin 32 carried by said chain, and theunderside of each hood 33 is cut away or longitudinally slotted tofreely pass the uprising pin 32 into the hood interior for liftingengagement against the inner surface of the hood crown. Thus, pins 32 atthe opposite ends of the cabinet being axially aligned and movingsynchronously, said pins simultaneously engage the hoods 33 at theopposite ends of the foremost panel mounting bar 25 and thereby engagesaid bar, with its depending panel 24, for travel with the chain 22forward reaches and upwardly out of panel registration witli'the sightwindow [5. Should it be expedient to position the bar 25 of the foremostpanel either forwardly or rearwardly out of direct alignment between thechain 22 forward reaches and hence laterally away from the path of pin32 travel, the tubular hoods 33 terminating the bars 25 may be replacedby eccentrically-arcuate, analogous elements 34 havrearwardly of theassociated bar 25 to intersect iiw f ic-Psthe foremost panel 24 is movedby the pins 32 and chains 22 upwardly out of registration with the sightwindow M5, the remaining units of the panel bank move forward along theinclined track member 21 edges to registration of the newuncoyered panelwith said sight window, the mounting-bar 2150f said letter panel servingto in hibit rearward oscillations of the panel being e1.- evated and anaperture brace strut 35, or equivalent element, which may take the form'of an elongate illuminating unit longitudinally and in,- teriorly ofthe cabinet above the sight window 1 6 serving to inhibit forwardoscillations of said panel, thereby guiding the latter during its upriseand facilitating smooth interchange of the exposed panels. The panelbeing withdrawn is elevated as the pins 32 pass over the sprockets l9into clearing relation with the panel bank and into lower marginengagement against C-shaped g ide springs 36 fixedly spaced from thevertical legs of the frame I8 to open rearwardly and downwardly of thecabinet with their more flexible, free ends uppermost, so that saidpanel lower margin is caused to slide upwardly against and rearwardlyover the yieldable, upwardly-directed, spring 36 free ends as the panelupper margin follows the upper arcs of the sprockets It to the end thatthe panel lower margin is positioned by said spring free ends forentrance between the track members 21 behind the panel bank as thelifting pins carrying the panel mounting bar de; scend along the chain22 rearward reaches and is held by said spring free ends against anytendency to swing forwardly into possible entanglement with the panelsof said bank. The mounting bar 25 being permitted some degree of axialshift on the pins 32 engaged therewith, it is expedient to properlyregister the panel 24 as it descends between the track members 21 toinsure engagement of the rollers 26 with the track member edges, and forthis purpose inwardly and down! wardly inclined webs 31, of considerablelength foreand aft of the cabinet, are fixed in opposition to innerfaces of said track members to engage side margins of the descendingpanel and-reestablish the latter in position for engagement of itsmounting bar rollers 26 with the track member edges, the roller andtrack edge engagement thus established insuring proper registration ofthe panel in its ultimate relation with the sight window I6.

As will be obvious, downward travel of the pins 32 along the chain 22rearward reaches and past the rearward extensions of the trackmembers-:22? seats the rollers of the panel carried thereby, on thetrack member edges and frees the said pins from their engagement withthe mounting bar hoods 33, thus releasing the panel unit tomove bygravity forwardly into the panel bank, where it becomes the rearmostelement, and conditioning the lifting pins to pass about the sprockets25 and shaft 25 for repition of their operative cycle. Save for theuncertainties of gravity panel feed along an inclined track and the feedproblems incident to use of a horizontal, instead of an inclined,panel-supporting track, a sometimes desirable variation typified byFigure 10, the device is operatively complete as hereinabove described,but regardless of the presence or degree of track arallel to the shaft2! between the f each said chain and above, but not n g the receivingend of each track 1 each sprocket 38 being thus mounted a i; te asincident of chain 22 travel in the s as the sprockets l9 and 20. Anidler sprocket 39 revoluable about a fixed axis paralleling the axis ofthe sprocket 38 is disposed t9 engage each chain 22 rearward reach in0pppsitiori .to and closely-spaced relation with each sprocket 38,thereby insuring positive drive of the latter without danger of slippagedue to chain slack. The hub of each sprocket 38 is extended inwardly tospacedly overhang the positions of the hoods 33 or 3 f the rearmostpanel units inv the panel bank, .as determined by unit roller engagementwith the track member edges, and a pin 40 eccentrically fixed in saidhub to project iniwardly of the cabinet therefrom in parallel with thesprocket axis pivotally mounts one end of a detent 4| projecting at itsfree end well beyond the associated sprocket periphery and disposed tosweep as said sprocket rotates through the space between the chain 22rearward reach and the adjacent track member rearward extension. Aretractile coil spring 42 connects between the inner end of the detent4i and a point on the sprocket hnb leading the pin so in the directionof sprocket rotation and tends to hold said detent at the limit of itsextension radially of the sprocket and against a stop pin 63 whichlimits detent oscillation in the direction of sprocket rotation to aposition wherein its free .end slightly trails the axis of the pin 40,the yieldability of the spring ig permitting detent oscillation in theopposite direction. As the chains 22 travel, their rearward reachesrotate the sprockets 38 to swing the detents 4i downwardly and forwardlythrough the space between each chain and the adjacent track member 2'!rearward extension and hence against the hoods 33 and 34 of the rearwardunits in the panel bank which necessarily project across the detentorbit. As the sprockets 38 rotate, their detent 5! projections urge thehoods engaged thereby, and the associated panel units, forwardly alongthe track members 21, thus consolidating the bank, regardless of gravityfeed, and insuring proper view presentation of the foremost panel. Withthe bank properly consolidated, resistance to further forward travel ofthe panel units is accommodated by the yieldability of the spring 42which extends when the detent M encounters resistance to permit saiddetent to ratchet over the non-movable elements in its path. Where, asin Figure 10, upper edges of the track members 27 snpporting the panelbank are substantially horizontal, the rearward, receiving extensions ofsaid track edges should preferably be forwardly and downwardly curved orinclined from an elevated point to' feed the descendin panel units intothe sprockets 38 and their related elements.

Since many changes, variations, and modifications in the specific form,construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may behad without departing from the spirit path oi the advancing m an m ed ythe of my invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely bythe scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of theillustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

1. Cyclicly interchangeable display means of the character described,comprising a housing formed with a sight window in its lower faceportion, spaced, parallel tracks fixedly interiorly and transversely ofsaid housing to terminate at their forward ends outwardly and upwardlyadjacent upper corners of said sight window, visually-distinguished,structurally-identical display panels, each equipped withspacedly-parallel rollers outwardly adjacent its upper corners andperpendicular to its plane, roller supported on said tracks injuxtaposed succession to form a bank whereof the foremost panel isregistered for view through said window, like, endless chainssprocket-mounted for travel in vertical planes 1.

perpendicular to the sight window between each track and the adjacenthousing end wall with their forward reaches aligned with the ends of theforemost panel of the bank, power means and connections forsimultaneously, synchronously, and continuously driving said chains foruprising travel of their forward reaches, operativelyaligned, opposedmeans on said chains simultaneously engageable with upper cornerextensions of and to elevate the foremost panel of the bank as anincident of chain travel and to subsequently release said panel to tracksupport as the rearmost element of the bank, means for guiding thechain-engaged panel during its travel, means for minimizing oscillationof the individual panels in the bank, and means reactive to chain traveleffective to positively advance the panel bank toward the sight window.

2. The organization according to claim 1, wherein each of the displaypanels consists of a thin, plane, relatively stiff sheet of an areaslightly greater than that of the sight window bearing matter to bedisplayed on its forwardlydirected face, a supporting bar fixedlycoincident with and projecting at each end beyond the panel sheet uppermargin, track-engageable rollers journaled on the end projections ofsaid bar adjacent the panel sheet side margins, hood extensionscoaxially and fixedly terminating the bar end projections beyond saidrollers, and longitudinal slots intersecting the walls of said hoodextensions directed toward the panel sheet lower margin.

3. The organization according to claim 1, wherein the means for guidingthe chain-engaged panel during its travel includes housing-fixed stopsfor limiting forward oscillations of the panel during its uprise awafrom the sight window, housing-mounted, rearwardly and downwardlyopening C-springs yieldable to slidably pass the moving panel lowermargin as the panel upper margin is carried over the uppermost arc ofthe chain travel and to inhibit forward oscillations of the panel lowermargin during descending panel travel, and inwardly and downwardlyinclined webs fixed in opposition to the track rear end inner faces forengagement with the panel lower corners and consequent determination ofthe panel lateral disposition for registration of the panel rollers withthe supporting tracks.

4. The organization according to claim 1, wherein the means forminimizing oscillation of the individual panels in the bank consists ofa brush-like member fixed in the housing lower portion with its bristlesdirected upwardly below and in a length to span the depth of the panelbank, the plane of the member bristle free ends paralleling and beingspaced slightly above the plane determined by the lower margins of thepanels constituting the bank.

5. The organization according to claim 1, wherein the means forminimizing oscillation of the individual panels in the bank consists ofan endless, flexible member roller-mounted in the housing lower portionfor free travel of its upper run closely adjacent the lower margins ofthe panels constituting the bank across the full depth of said bank, andstuds spacedly outstanding from said member for engagement between lowermargins of adjacent such panels.

6. The organization according to claim 1, wherein the means reactive tochain travel effective to positively advance the panel bank toward thesight window consists of extensions fixedly projecting from the uppercorners of each panel laterally beyond the panel rollers, sprocketshousing-mounted for rotation in meshed engagement with the chainrearward reaches inwardly of the latter and upwardly and outwardlyadjacent the track rear ends, a detent eccentrically pivoted on theinner face of and to rotate with each said sprocket, said detent beingdisposed to sweep past and parallel to the outer face of the adjacenttrack rear end and hence bear against and forwardly move the uppercorner extensions of panels carried by said track portion, a stop on thesprocket for limiting radial projection of the detent, and a springyieldably urging said detent against said stop, whereby the operatingend of said detent may retract against the pressure of said springtoward the sprocket axis and ratchet past the extensions of the panelsin a consolidated bank.

7. The organization according to claim 1, wherein the means forminimizing oscillation of the individual panels in the bank consists ofa member fixed in the housing lower portion in a length to span thedepth of the panel bank and pressure-yieldable elements upstanding fromsaid member across and to terminate slightly above the plane determinedby the lower margins of the panels constituting the bank.

LEO GORDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 619,301 Hansen Feb. 14, 18991,167,399 Gillam Jan. 11, 1916 1,194,210 Mininberg Aug, 8, 19161,368,533 Aimes Feb. 15, 1921 1,754,369 Phillips Apr. 15, 19301,899,784) Turner Feb. 28, 1933 2,061,030 Heath Nov. 17, 1936 2,220,478Curnutt Nov. 5, 1940

